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  • Egret at Fern Ridge Lake
  • Geese at Leaburg Dam
  • Canada Goose
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Home > Visitors > Things to Do > Outdoor Adventures > Birding

Birding

Bird watching is proliferate in the Eugene, Cascades & Coast region and you don't need to be an ornithologist to participate!

Just grab your binoculars and a field guide, and head out to shallow marshes, forest trails, or rugged coastline to view a wide variety of birds in their natural habitat.

The best time for birding is dawn to mid-morning. 

 
Oregon Bird Watching
Eugene, Cascades & Coast Birding

For adventurous birders, tree climbing expeditions can hoist you up 150 feet (45.72 m) into an old-growth forest canopy for a bird's eye view. Or visit Eugene's Cascades Raptor Center to learn how birds of prey are an important part of our eco-system. Every season offers new opportunities to view migrating or nesting birds or attend a birding event.

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Eugene Birding
  • Eugene OR 97401
  • Subcategory: Birding

A group of dedicated birders created this website to showcase 11 sites in Eugene. It includes a map of the location, photos of birds and descriptions. This guide will MORE >>

Oregon Cascades Birding Trail - Delta Old-Growth Trail
  • Delta Old Growth Trail
  • Cascade Mountain Range OR 97413
  • Region: Oakridge - Cascade Mountains
  • Subcategory: Birding

With nearly 200 sites along more than 1,000 miles of scenic roadways, the Cascades is an area for birders of all skill and interest levels. The Delta Old-Growth Trail MORE >>

Oregon Coast Birding Trail - Heceta Head Lighthouse State Scenic Viewpoint
  • Heceta Head Lighthouse
  • Oregon Coast OR 97439
  • Region: Florence - Oregon Coast
  • Subcategory: Birding

Where Cape Creek meets the Pacific Ocean, Heceta Head Lighthouse and scenic viewpoint is an excellent location to search for the different types of seabirds that nest and MORE >>

Willamalane Birding Trail - Dorris Ranch
  • Dorris Ranch
  • Springfield OR 97477
  • Region: Springfield Oregon
  • Subcategory: Birding

A 258-acre, working filbert farm, Dorris Ranch is just one of 21 locations in Springfield where you can watch birds in action. With upland prairie and riparian forest, MORE >>

Willamette Valley Birding Trail - Delta Ponds
  • Delta Ponds
  • Goodpasture Island Road
  • Willamette Valley OR 97401
  • Region: Eugene Oregon
  • Subcategory: Birding

Many of the birds that Lewis & Clark wrote about in their journals over 200 years ago can be found throughout the lush landscape that marks the end of the Oregon Trail. MORE >>

  
What Birds Will I See?
Local favorites include the Pelican and Rock Sandpiper seabirds, Three-toed Woodpeckers and Nashville Warblers. The Fern Ridge Wildlife Area, just 10 miles (16 km) west of Eugene, hosts over 10,000 acres (4,046 ha) of marshes where 250 species of birds make their home including Great Blue Herons, Yellow-headed Blackbirds, and Red-shouldered Hawks. And don't forget to check out the Delta Ponds which is home to birds, turtles and otters.

The Springfield Community Birding Trail offers 21 prime locations for birdwatching. At Walterville Pond look for an American Coot, Canada Goose or Western Grebe. At the Millrace Park spot American Robins, and at Island Park watch for a Brown Creeper or Red-breasted Sapsucker.  

 If you're near Oakridge or the McKenzie River region, follow the Oregon Cascades Birding Trail and discover area birds in the spectacular scenery of the Cascade Mountains. Back at the coast, the Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area in Florence hosts an expansive stretch of dunes and coastline where Great Horned Owls, Downy Woodpeckers, and Northern Harriers can be spotted. 2011 Photo Contest Winner - For the Birds - 3rd Place

For easily-accessible, family-friendly, and informative bird watching, visit Creswell's Garden Lake Park just off of Interstate 5. Wood chip trails on flat terrain encircle a small pond where beaver can sometimes be spotted. The park also includes interpretative signage, picnic tables, bathrooms, a small dock for fishing, and a boat ramp for non-motorized boats.

Birding Events
A bird walk coordinated by the Lane County Audubon Society convenes on the third Saturday of every month at various locations. The bird walk is open to all novice and expert birders for a small donation.

2011 Photo Contest Winner - For the Birds - Honorable Mention Fern Ridge Wings & Wine Festival is the region's largest bird event, and fun for the whole family. The event concides each May with International Migatory Bird Day and supports bird conservation through education. Join in guided bird walks, workshops, children's crafts and games, sailing, canoe tours and of course, wine tasting!